Improvement in hydrants



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEO AGUR PIXLEY AND JOHN ROBERTSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AS- SIGNORS TO ROBERTSON, DOlV St OO., OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HYDRANTS.

Specification forming part ot' Letters Patent No. 55,782, dated June 19, 18613. l

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, AGUR PIXLEY and JOHN ROBERTSON, both ofthe city ot' Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State ot New York, have invented certa-in new and useful Improvements in Hydrants; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a central vertical section oi a hydrant constructed according to our inven tion. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken in the lineI .r a of Fig. 1, and representing a portion of our invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

This invention consists in a hollow valvestem carrying a valve upon its lower end and provided with suitable ports, so arranged with reference to the valve-box and waterbox of a hydrant that the hydrant is closed by the pressure of water upon the valve, and at the same time be more easily opened when desired than those heretofore constructed.

This invention further consists in a ring placed upon the hollow valve-stem and formed with a small hole or opening, which acts, in connection with a similar hole in the valvestem, to allow the escape of the water contained in the valve-stem and discharge-pipe when the hydrant is closed, as is desirable in cold weather, to prevent the freezing ot' the water in the hydrant, the ring being also adjustable to shut oit' the escape ot' water through the said holes when desired.

The invention further consists in a collar xed upon the upper end of the valve-stem in such relation to the valve upon the lower end thereof that the said colla-r and valve act as stops to limit or determine the up-and.down movement of the valve-stem in opening and closing the hydrant.

To enable others to understand the construction and operation of our invention, we will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

A is the waterbox, which communicates directly with the main or pipe B, which conducts the water to the hydra-nt. A valve-box, C, is firmly screwed into the top of this water-box A, thejointbetween them heilig tightly closed by a packing-ring, a. Situated in this valvebox O is a vertical hollow valve-stem, D, which has alimiteddownward movementtherein. The central passage, F, otl this hollow valve-stem D terminates at its lowest end in two ports, j', immediately above the valve E. This valve E is firmly secured upon the lower end of the valve-stem by means of a bolt, b, and nut d, and may be faced with leather, india-rubber, or other suitable material, it' desired.

When the hydrant is closed the valve E fits upon the valve-seat g, and not only serves to prevent the ingress ot'vwater into the valve- Stem, but acts as a stop to limit the upward movement of the said stem in closing the hydrant. The upper end ot' the valve-stem is made of less diameter than its lower portion, in order that the ring I may be placed upon it, the circun'iference of the said ring being the same as that of the lower portion ot' the valvestem, so that it can move down into the valvebox C, as required in opening lthe hydrant. Immediately above this ring I is a collar, G, which rests upon it, and is kept in place by a nut, j, screwed upon the upper extremity O the valve-stem, and which also secures the discharge-pipe J, which forms the upper part of the hydrant, to the aforesaid hollow valve-stem.

Formed in one side of the ring I is a small hole or opening, n, and another hole, r, of corresponding size, is made in the side of the hollow valve-stem D, in such manner that when the said holes are placed opposite each other, as shown in Fi 1, an outlet is formed, through which the water contained in the discharge pipe J and in the upper part of the valve-stem when the hydrant is closed is allowed to escape, so that by emptying the said pipe and valve-stem they are prevented from freezing up in winter. In summer, when there is no necessity for emptying them, after using the hydrant the ring I is turned around upon the valve-stem into the position shown in Fig. 2, thus closing or covering the hole r in the valve-stem and shutting ott the escape of water through the said hole.

The collar G, secured upon the upper end of the valve-stem, as hereinbetbre described, is so situated upon the said stem that when the stem is pushed downward far enough to bring the ports f below the valve-seat g the said collar G will strike the upper end of the valveboX O and prevent its further deseen t, thus aeting as a stop to limitits downward movement. This collar may be faced with leather, india-rubber, or other suitable material to prevent slammin g,if desired. The valve-stein beingpushed downward by pressing upon the handle 7c at the upper end of the discharge-pipe J, the water from the water-box A rushes upward through the ports finto the hollow valve-stein D, and thence through the pipe J, and is discharged at the upper end thereof through the curved spout m. Then the downward pressure is removed from the pipe J the upward pressure of the water in the water-box A upon the under side of the valve E forces upward the valve-stem D and the parts secured thereto, so that the ports j" are moved up into the valve-box O, and the valve E closes upon the valve-seat g, and thus prevents the further ingress of water into the valvestem, and also as justherein described, it exerts butlittle resistanee to the downward movement thereof, so that the hydrant may be mueh more easily opened than those heretofore devised.

Vhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

lhe ring I, formed with a hole or opening, a, and arranged upon the hollow valve-stem D with reference to the hole or openin g fr thereof, in combination with the valve-stein D and valve-box C, substantially as herein set forth, for the purpose specified.

' AGUR PIXLEY.

JOHN ROBERTSON. \Vitnesses:

A. Ln CLERC, J. W. CooMBs. 

